The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-21
CUPlO'S VAGARIES.
The National characteristics Of
Love Contrasted.

'noh nchanno Love and fersonaf
Beauty.
AS literary luck would have it, the
subject Of French love follows natu-
rally upon the subject of the last
chapter-"How to Cure Love" The
French are too clever nation to
leave to individual effort the difficult
task OF curing the mind of such an
obstinate thing as love. All the
papas and mammas in the land have
put their heads together and devised
TWO methods OF killing love whole
sale, compared with which all the
remedies named in the last chapter
are mere hv bites. These two meth
DDS are chaperonage and parental
choice, as opposed to courtship and
individual sexual selection.
A Southerner's passions are mo-
meutarily iuaamed. and tho Italian
Cupid needs but moment to fix his
choice. Aud what distinguishes
Italy still more iavorably from
France is that, whereas the French
consider love ridiculous, and have
made the most ingenious coptriv-
ances for annihilating it, the ltal-
iaus worship it, revel in it, and are
inclined rather to make too many
concessions to it than to ignore it,
The result is patent to all eyes. For
every attractive French woman
there are today hundred beautiful
Italians. And were Anglo Ameri-
can methods of sourtship introduced
into Italy, beauty would again be
doubled in amount.
ENGLAND has many a bright jewel
in the crown of her achievements in
behalf OF civilization, bat the bright
est OF all is this, that she was the
first country in the werld-ancient,
medieval, or Wodern-that removed
the bars from wemans prison win
dows, opened every door TO Cupid,
and made him thoroughly welcome
aud comfortable. And grateful
Cupid has retaliatcd by setting
up English manners aud customs
as model which all other
nations are slowly but surely
copying. Eighteen million souls in
the United States, or almost two
persons in every i've, are not of
English origin; yet OF these there are
not one million who have not given
up their old country methods OF
courtship as antiquated, and adopted
the Anglo-American style. The
Germans in America make love not
after the German, but after the
English fashion. SO do the French,
though somewhat more reluctantly
and tardily. la San Francisco aud
Chicago it is said that but one name
in ten is OF English origin; yet who
ever heard OF a San Franciscan OF
Chicagoan making love in foreign
stylef
One more characteristic OF Ameri
can love remains TO be noted-th,
most unique OF all American womel
are of all women in the world tn,
most self conscious, and have tn
keenest sense OF humor. To thes,
quick witted damsels the sentimen
tai sublimities OF amorous hyperbole
which may touch the heart OF a naiv,
German or Italian girl, are apt to ap
pear dangerously near the ludicrous
hence an American lover, II he j
clever enough, deliberately cover
the step which separates tn
sublime from the ridiculous
He gilds fhe gold Of his compl
ments by using the form Of playfr
exargeration, which is the MOI
easy TO him because exaggeration
, q national form Of American humsi
Mr.. Howells heroes often max
love in this fashion. The lover |
the Lady Of the Aroostook spice
| his batteries with open burlesque
, aud succeeds admirably with thi
! new Ars Amoris; and Colville i
Indian summer, says 10 lmogeut
r Come, I'll 40 OF course, lmogen'
. A fancy ball TO please you is yer
different thing from fancy ball !
the abstract"
"Oh, what nice things you say
Do you know. | always admired you
, compliments | think they're th
most charming compliments in III
4 world"
i 81 don't think they're half as pref
/ ty as yours; but they're more sir
A cere.
mo, honestly. They hatter, and {
/ the same time they make fun % N
a hattery a little; they make perso
: feel that you like them even Will
? you laugh at them"
. Ii must be admitted that the Gel
4 mans have one Ingredient OF n
y mantle love which all other natioI
must envy them. They have on
!. more thrill in the drama OF love, !
/ the ascending scale Of iamillariiic
! than we have, namely, the word ID
q which is something very diilcreI
!. from the stilted thou, because sti
4 part Of every day languag
n The second person singuli
. is used in Germany towar,
/. pet animals and children, b,
n tween students, Intimate friend
/ relatives, and lovers. French "lo'
h ers" do not say tn 10 each other q
q after marriage, and even then tn,
~ do not use il in public. But u
German lover has the privilege,
ia soon as he is engaged, Of exchAngiI
- the formal Sic for the afcctiona
a. Du; and the FIRST Du that com
:. from her lips can hardly be lie
- sweet than the first kiss.
There is a game OF cards. popul
among the young folks in German
during which you have 10 adore
0, every one with Du whom you othe
et wise would have 10 call Bic, and vi
70 versa; cards have to be called spoor
~ white black, etc. II there is
: young man in the company secret
4 in love with a young lady, you C
OF always spot" him by the eagcrn'
a, he shows TO speak to her, and I
y, fact that he always gets the
III right aud everything else wron
- while she, strange TO say, appears
" have never heard Of such a thing
o. all as a personal pronoun.
cd what Thsy viii no.
- NJ. -